Nilbar Güres

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Turkish-Austrian, Vienna-based artist Nilbar Güres holds a BFA from Marmara University in Istanbul and an MFA from The Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. In her series of collages, Unknown Sports, the artist depicts women enclosed by curtains, behind which their private spaces are transformed into unexpected sport arenas: “high jumpers instead of window cleaners, sprinters instead of shop runners, shot-putting instead of holding our siblings in our arms.” In the video Undressing/Soyunma, Güres starts with multiple headscarves given to her by family members and other personally significant women. Many of the cloth patterns that completely cover the artist’s head and obscure her face reflect her Kurdish heritage. As she removes the scarves, a slow process due to the many pins securing them to her head, she calls out the name connected to each. Part autobiographical self-discovery, part endurance based performance, the artist metaphorically reveals important elements of her personal history and cultural heritage.